DUBOIS – A Curwensville woman has been charged with endangering the welfare of children for having drugs and paraphernalia near a three-year-old girl.
Melissa Ann Holes, 36, was charged recently by state police with a felony count of endangering the welfare of children, and misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, corruption of minors and recklessly endangering another person. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 9.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, a witness reported on Dec. 14 that she was picking up some belongings out of her former Grampian apartment when she saw Holes asleep in a bed with her three-year-old daughter.
On the night stand next to the bed and within the child’s grasp, she allegedly saw a small plastic bag containing what she believed was methamphetamine.
There was also an eye glass case with a pipe, which the witness said she knew Holes used to smoke methamphetamine, reportedly near the drug.
A propane torch was nearby that she said Holes used to light the methamphetamine when she had seen her use the drug previously.
This witness took photos of the scene, which she showed to police.
After receiving a search warrant, police went to the apartment where they began the search in the bedroom. They saw the pipe the witness had mentioned on the nightstand.
Inside Holes’ purse, they allegedly found an unlabeled bottle of antibiotics, an eye glass case with multiple empty baggies with suspected methamphetamine residue in them, and another bag with suspected marijuana residue.
In the closet, they reportedly found an empty plastic bottle with a tube hanging out of it. Near it was a bottle of Coleman fuel, which is often used to make methamphetamine, police said.
The officers also located a camouflage draw-string bag that belonged to Tad J. Polites, 32, of Mahaffey.
Inside the bag was court paperwork for Polites, alleged drug paraphernalia, un-prescribed antibiotic pills, and multiple empty baggies with marijuana symbols on them.
Polites is also charged in this case with possession of drug paraphernalia. His preliminary hearing is also set for Feb. 9.